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In 586 B.C.E. the neo-Babylonian armies of Nebuchadnezzar raided and
destroyed the city of Jerusalem, forcing its people to flee. The majority of the
Judean leaders and aristocracy were relocated in Babylon, and lived in relative
isolation from even their captors. The Exile robbed them of their wealth, their
homes, their nation, and even their king; religion offered the only seed of
identity for this uprooted people. So it was during this time of Exile that a
flourishing of religious texts were written and compiled, in an attempt to
explain the causes of their misfortune, and enable the people to comprehend
their suffering (Meyers, Haggai xxxviii).
In general, the Psalter reflects the true emotions of the ancient Israelites,
more so than do most Biblical texts, as it is a compilation of their “troubles
and fears, their hopes, aspirations, and reasons for confidence.” (Metzger and
Murphy 674 OT) In Psalm 137, an Exilic text, a wide range of emotions are shown:
longing and mourning for their lost nation (Ps 137:1-3), the sadness and
confusion they felt while in the foreign land (Ps 137:4-6), and even the desire
for a violent revenge (Ps 137:7-9). The same range of emotions can be seen in
Second Isaiah, though this work was written “immediately before the fall of
Babylon (October 29, 539B.C.E.)” and displays more of the Judeans thoughts on
their future. It is a compilation of passages of hope, promises of God to
fulfill His covenant, and threats of violence for the unbelievers. The majority
of the Exilic and Post-Exilic texts call for a bloody and merciless revenge on
their captors, and it would be easy to assign this outlook for all of the Jewish
people of the time.
Upon close inspection however, it becomes apparent that not all Jews cared
about a bloody justice, and that some just wanted to go home and be done with
it. Both of these views, (both bloody and not), are found in Isaiah 42 and the
proximity of the conflicting persuasions highlight their differences. In Isaiah
42:3, a pacifistic, reserved justice is called for; “a bruised reed he will not
break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench: he will faithfully bring
forth justice.” Yet in just a few stanzas later, there is a call for blood. “The
Lord goes forth like a soldier, like a warrior he stirs up his fury; he cries
out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.” (Isaiah 42:13)
By comparing these two quotes, it becomes readily apparent that the idea that
all Judeans wanted a violent revenge must be thrown out. While in Exile, the
Jewish people held many expectations of their future, not all of which agreed
with one another, nor were fulfilled. Returning to the Promised Land was the
main focus of Exile, and it evolved into a paradise of sorts, where everything
would be perfect. There are visions of God blessing the people restored in their
land, and their work being more than fruitful throughout the Exilic texts.
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I
will pour my spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring.”
(Isaiah 43:3) Haggai, a text written after Cyrus’ overthrow of the Babylonians,
depicts a much different scene than the one envisioned in Isaiah. (Metzger and
Murphy 1217 OT) “Therefore the heavens above you have withheld dew, and the
earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and
the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produced, on
human beings and animals, and on all their labors.” (Hag 1:10-11) This quote
describes a state of affairs far different than what the Israelite people
imagined their future to be. The Jewish people, besides depicting a skewed view
of their future, also disagreed on how that future should be run.
While in Exile they were not allowed to have a king for obvious reasons, and
due to this power vacuum, the priest was raised in status (Meyers and Meyers,
Zechariah 169). Despite the fact that Haggai and Zechariah were contemporaries,
and even cohorts, they did not agree on the place of the priest once a king had
been restored (Metzger and Murphy 1217OT). Throughout the book of Haggai, the
prophet shares all of his visions with both the governor and the high priest,
except for his very last oracle. In this oracle, he prophesies the rise of the
Jewish king, and the restoration of power to the people.
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